I have to tell you, Friends, being able to write these blogs to you every week has been so much pure, simple, energetic fun for me. It’s has also, however, not been easy every week. Not because sitting at the computer is tough, not because I didn’t want to connect (umm, it’s my favorite thing to connect with you- seriously), but because through these blogs I have been basically chronicling my personal growth as a human over the past few months- and the discovery process of who I am and what I both was MEANT to do as well as truly WANT to do has been one that has actually not been easy!
Allow for me to share a story and some truths with you – in hopes it will provide you an opportunity to know me better as well as to reflect upon the opportunity you have for your own personal growth.
I enrolled in college as a Liberal Arts major. I seriously had no idea what I wanted to do and I wanted to give myself time and space to figure it out (but not too much because as you know, girlfriend thrives in structure and “plans” over here…). When I got there, it didn’t make logical sense to me to continue down a path of “unknowing” because most majors had classes that needed to be incorporated in during the first or second year of school and I’d be darned if I got behind the ball. (Yeah, first-born, Type A, anyone?!)
Up until that point, my true love had always been sports- ever since I was a little girl I was on some sort of field in some sort of jersey… so it seemed to make sense that I would become a Sports Management major. (Seemed to make sense or seemed like the easy choice… hmmm something to journal about perhaps…). But as I traveled along that path I, again, had no idea what I wanted to do. None of the professions within the Sports Management realm seemed particularly appealing to me (huge shout out to all of you who are ROCKING that field right now… I honor you for stepping into your gifts and your purpose!)… so I decided, during my sophomore year that I would change my major to Business. I was getting a minor in it anyway through the Sports Management realm… but again, it would open more doors for me.
Again. I didn’t know what I would do. But I did start knowing what I didn’t want to do and I started getting inklings within my gut that brought me back to, what I now know to be truths, wishes I had when I was a little girl.
One spring day in Maine, as the buds were just starting to pop through but it was still quite chilly, I remember sitting in my academic advisor’s office, going over the courses I wanted to choose for the following year. He was a well established, successful business man whom I greatly respected. He was Italian- loved his cappuccino in the afternoons, had salt and pepper hair and was quite charismatic as well as brilliant when he spoke. He worked in the banking industry for years and in many of his teachings used those examples… and I remember looking at him and saying, “Honestly Professor, I still don’t know quite what I want to do… but I can tell you this, I do not want to go into banking… I really feel like I am meant to work for myself someday… I just don’t know HOW. I don’t even know what that looks like or what I will do!”
We didn’t come up with a plan. I honestly wish that at the time I would have known, or he would have mentioned, the term “entrepreneur” because ultimately… that was what I was talking about (I know that now)… but I didn’t know it even existed. It wasn’t traditional. It wasn’t main stream. It certainly wasn’t something being taught.
So we cordially ended our meeting and I pressed on… through the rest of college… graduating Magna Cum Laude… into my first job at the hospital I interned at… throughout life as a young 20-something… getting married… having my first baby… doing everything according to “the plan” (the plan that I couldn’t ever quite figure out WHY I was executing professionally)…
Until it wasn’t okay anymore. Until it wasn’t enough anymore. Until the plan was changed and I discovered that the plan was keeping me small, was keeping me from what I really WANTED to do, was allowing for me to stay hidden from what I was truly meant to do- which is be home with my family, CREATE the work that my entrepreneurial soul was meant to create, and work for myself- just as that college girl knew to be true because ultimately, I have known it all the days of my life.
Interestingly, my first step in the process to fulfilling my purpose was fitness and wellness related (cool parallel between my first step in college with becoming a Sports Management major). I started being able to help people step into their best selves with providing them support in their fitness and nutrition. I loved it. I love it still. And I am grateful- I honor my start. But, innately I started taking the support groups I ran to the next level… I started diving into emotional wellness, spiritual wellness, self-care, and the seemingly all-too-elusive, self-love world.
And again, I felt the stirring. The stirring to serve bigger, grander, and more TRUE to myself.
I started to peel the onion layers back (as I have helped hundreds of others to do) on myself. I hired a business coach and joined a Master Mind (of which I am eternally grateful to be a part of). I started creating… I started following prompts for the next right action. I decided to be an online Lifestyle and Business Strategist. But ultimately, something was still off. On paper, my offerings are amazing, internally, they were ALMOST aligned… but again, I chose my offerings based on what I KNOW to be true logically, but covered up what I KNOW to be true within my heart!
Until this past weekend.
Now, let me take a moment here to explain, I am still doing online fitness, nutrition, and wellness coaching. I am still serving clients with their businesses specifically (and I’m freaking loving it, I might add). But I have intuitively known, since I was that tough little girl on the soccer field who simultaneously LOVED Cinderella and wore her heart on her sleeve, that I am meant to serve people with LIFE.
I am MEANT to be a Life Coach- because I am one. I have been doing it all of my days. In the fitness world, in the business world… it always went deeper for me. I always wanted to talk the logistics, hammer out the strategy, and then get into the HEART.
I share this all with you in a very long note (thank you for sticking with me!) to let you know that we are all transforming ALL OF THE TIME. And with each step, we get closer and closer to our truth. There are no wrong turns, only detours, experiences, and experiments that are ultimately going to bring us to where we are MEANT to be with a lot more character, understanding, knowledge, and certainty.
And THAT is awesome. It FEELS so good. Even the bumps and bruises serve a purpose. Because getting to that centered place in your heart (especially after 32 years of floating, doing well enough, but not living in my truth) is the most calming yet invigorating feeling I have known.
I don’t know exactly where this point on my journey will take me- but I know that write this email, sharing this truth, was my first step- and I’m excited to let you in on the ride.
So, now, we turn to you. What is your intuition whispering? What has it been nudging you to do, which you have been skating around, for your entire life?
Getting to this epic realization has been a process for me. Lots of journaling. Lots of meditating. Lots of quiet time. Lots of LISTENING to coaches, mentors, guides, and loved ones. And lots of honesty talks with myself. But it was worth it. And I’m grateful because having this clarity NOW as opposed to floating for another 30 years, well let’s just say that the WORLD is going to be served in a bigger, more expansive way. Because when we own our truth- when we take the time to realize it and then act upon it… EVERYONE BENEFITS.
I would be remiss if I didn’t let you know that I am currently accepting one on one clients. I am READY to help you navigate the waters that I just navigated for myself… I’m ready to help you get from where you are now to where you want to be- and I can say that with complete conviction because I just did it! If you are curious… if you are ready… I encourage you, fill out the contact form at www.jillianbolanz.com/contact and let’s schedule a free Discovery call to see where your life is MEANT to go and if working together feels like a right action toward getting you there!
Again, thank you. Thank you for allowing for me to share this journey with you. Thank you for your love and support as we navigate it together. Thank you for taking my words, reflecting on them internally, and using them as a catapult forward… to step into the TRUE YOU!
With abundant love,
Jillian
Jillian Bolanz
Life Coach – Business Strategist – Wellpreneur
Helping you to Logistically and Energetically align with who you really are to make the impact you really want to make.
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